I was told once by a very well known and lovely Chef that it never fails, ever... the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
Maybe it's something exotic like Ostrich or Bison.
It could be as simple as a ham sandwich ...
...or perhaps the always popular deliciousness known as Chocolate Layer Cake.
Any way you slice it, everybody's gotta eat but if it's the first time you are creating dinner (or breakfast) for someone who is close to your heart, it can be a real challenge. How defined is their pallet? Do they have any food allergies, (that's a big one since you don't want the night to end up in the ER!) What if they had Osso Bucco for lunch and you've spent three days slaving over a hot stove making it THEN you find out that in fact, they are Vegetarian! Sigh.
My advice? Start pulling all your go-to cook books and scouring the internet for what the hot, new, fabulous food trend is...
...do your research; DON'T try something brand new. That just adds an extra layer of stress that NOBODY needs. I will say that nine times out of ten keeping it super simple is always the best way to go.
Here's the Science behind it all... (borrowed from an article in the Huffington Post) "Notably, early in the relationship, eating takes on weighted significance, according to Maryanne Fisher, a professor of psychology St. Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, whose research focuses on the evolutionary basis of romantic behavior. "Food is a way to display skills to a potential mate," Fisher told HuffPost Healthy Living. "You might buy nicer food, prepare better meals. It's fascinating how it can be used as part of the relationship." If the food is a display -- say, if one partner cooks food for another, or one buys a fancy dinner for the other -- that's preferable, because those who are newly in love tend not to eat much. As Fisher noted in her essay on the subject,those who are newly infatuated produce an overabundance of "reward hormones" like norepinephrine.
Those in turn produce feelings of euphoria, giddiness and energy, according to Fisher."
In a saucepan add olive oil, plum tomatoes, 3 shallots and 4 cloves of garlic and cook until shallots are translucent. Add white wine and juice of 2 lemons. Bring to boil, reduce heat, let cook three minutes. Remove from heat and add all ingredients to blender and puree. This process may require being done in steps so that blender does not overflow.
Strain pureed ingredients through chinoise (mesh strainer), throw out pulp and reserve broth. Bring broth back up to at least 110 degrees. Place in a clean blender, add cubed butter with blender on high to emulsify, thicken sauce, season to taste.
In a large pot bring to boil salted water and then cook pasta to al dente, refresh in ice bath and set aside. Toss in 1 tablespoon olive oil until ready to serve.
In a blender, add 2 cloves of garlic, 1 shallot, basil, parsley and watercress, juice of the 1 remaining lemon, cover blender, turn on high. Slowly add 1 cup olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt -- add fresh cracked black pepper (a lot), briefly turn blender on. Transfer contents into a squirt bottle and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Place 1 saute pan over high heat until it smokes.
In another saute pan place 1 teaspoon of olive oil, add 3 ounces of pasta, then 4 ounces of tomato sauce, check for seasoning of salt and pepper to taste.
In smoking pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season scallops with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, then add to hot oil. Sear deeply until warm brown color turn each scallop over and finish in a 375 degree oven (for 3 minutes). In desired plate or bowl place pasta with sauce, when scallops are done arrange them on top of pasta. Spoon pesto over the plate and garnish with basil.
What You Need:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Four 8-ounce lamb shoulder chops (cut 1 inch thick)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
8 garlic cloves, halved
10 thyme sprigs, plus more for garnish
1 cup big, jammy red wine, I like a California Zinfandel
1/2 cup dried cherries (3 ounces)
1/2 cup dried California apricots
(3 ounces), quartered
2 cups low-sodium Vegetable broth
How To Do It:
In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Season the lamb chops with salt
and pepper and rub them all over with the coriander. Add the pork chops to
the skillet along with the garlic cloves and 10 thyme sprigs and cook over high
heat, turning once, until the chops are browned and the garlic cloves are
browned in spots, about 6 minutes.
Add the red wine, dried cherries and dried apricots to the skillet and bring
to a boil. Cook over moderate heat until the wine is reduced by half, about 5
minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer
over moderately low heat until the pork is tender and the sauce is thick and
glossy, about 40 minutes; turn the pork chops once or twice during cooking.
Discard the thyme sprigs. Serve the pork chops at once, garnished with fresh
thyme.
If the evening is successful I doubt you'll make it to dessert ;o) ...
What you'll need:
1 extra-large egg
4 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur (Grand Marnier or I prefer Amaretto for a bit of a different taste)
How to do it:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and liqueur and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.
Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.
To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar caramelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens. Toss a couple fresh raspberries or blueberries on top for some extra zing!
Leave me a note and let me know how it goes... regardless the outcome, you know the food is going to be deeeeeelish!
Maybe it's something exotic like Ostrich or Bison.
It could be as simple as a ham sandwich ...
...or perhaps the always popular deliciousness known as Chocolate Layer Cake.
Any way you slice it, everybody's gotta eat but if it's the first time you are creating dinner (or breakfast) for someone who is close to your heart, it can be a real challenge. How defined is their pallet? Do they have any food allergies, (that's a big one since you don't want the night to end up in the ER!) What if they had Osso Bucco for lunch and you've spent three days slaving over a hot stove making it THEN you find out that in fact, they are Vegetarian! Sigh.
My advice? Start pulling all your go-to cook books and scouring the internet for what the hot, new, fabulous food trend is...
...do your research; DON'T try something brand new. That just adds an extra layer of stress that NOBODY needs. I will say that nine times out of ten keeping it super simple is always the best way to go.
Here's the Science behind it all... (borrowed from an article in the Huffington Post) "Notably, early in the relationship, eating takes on weighted significance, according to Maryanne Fisher, a professor of psychology St. Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, whose research focuses on the evolutionary basis of romantic behavior. "Food is a way to display skills to a potential mate," Fisher told HuffPost Healthy Living. "You might buy nicer food, prepare better meals. It's fascinating how it can be used as part of the relationship." If the food is a display -- say, if one partner cooks food for another, or one buys a fancy dinner for the other -- that's preferable, because those who are newly in love tend not to eat much. As Fisher noted in her essay on the subject,those who are newly infatuated produce an overabundance of "reward hormones" like norepinephrine.
Those in turn produce feelings of euphoria, giddiness and energy, according to Fisher."
I love Science. LOVE IT!
Now, back to the matters at hand... You're twitterpated so, what are you going to make for dinner?
Here are a couple of deeeeelish must-haves... and of course, dessert.
Pan Seared Scallops
Here's What You Need:
Olive oil
12 plum tomatoes, diced
4 shallots, diced
6 cloves garlic
1 cup white wine
Juice of 3 lemons
1/4 pound (or 1 stick) butter cubed (Butter is key!)
4 ounces of fresh pasta of choice (linguine, fettuccine)
1 bunch of basil, stems removed
1 bunch of parsley, stems removed
1 bunch of watercress, stems removed
1 cup extra virgin olive oil plus 3 tablespoons
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 (10 to 20 dry pack) sea scallops
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Sprig or two of fresh basil
Here's How To Do It:In a saucepan add olive oil, plum tomatoes, 3 shallots and 4 cloves of garlic and cook until shallots are translucent. Add white wine and juice of 2 lemons. Bring to boil, reduce heat, let cook three minutes. Remove from heat and add all ingredients to blender and puree. This process may require being done in steps so that blender does not overflow.
Strain pureed ingredients through chinoise (mesh strainer), throw out pulp and reserve broth. Bring broth back up to at least 110 degrees. Place in a clean blender, add cubed butter with blender on high to emulsify, thicken sauce, season to taste.
In a large pot bring to boil salted water and then cook pasta to al dente, refresh in ice bath and set aside. Toss in 1 tablespoon olive oil until ready to serve.
In a blender, add 2 cloves of garlic, 1 shallot, basil, parsley and watercress, juice of the 1 remaining lemon, cover blender, turn on high. Slowly add 1 cup olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt -- add fresh cracked black pepper (a lot), briefly turn blender on. Transfer contents into a squirt bottle and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Place 1 saute pan over high heat until it smokes.
In another saute pan place 1 teaspoon of olive oil, add 3 ounces of pasta, then 4 ounces of tomato sauce, check for seasoning of salt and pepper to taste.
In smoking pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season scallops with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, then add to hot oil. Sear deeply until warm brown color turn each scallop over and finish in a 375 degree oven (for 3 minutes). In desired plate or bowl place pasta with sauce, when scallops are done arrange them on top of pasta. Spoon pesto over the plate and garnish with basil.
Zinfandel-Braised Pork Chops with Dried Fruit
What You Need:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Four 8-ounce lamb shoulder chops (cut 1 inch thick)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
8 garlic cloves, halved
10 thyme sprigs, plus more for garnish
1 cup big, jammy red wine, I like a California Zinfandel
1/2 cup dried cherries (3 ounces)
1/2 cup dried California apricots
(3 ounces), quartered
2 cups low-sodium Vegetable broth
How To Do It:
In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Season the lamb chops with salt
and pepper and rub them all over with the coriander. Add the pork chops to
the skillet along with the garlic cloves and 10 thyme sprigs and cook over high
heat, turning once, until the chops are browned and the garlic cloves are
browned in spots, about 6 minutes.
Add the red wine, dried cherries and dried apricots to the skillet and bring
to a boil. Cook over moderate heat until the wine is reduced by half, about 5
minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer
over moderately low heat until the pork is tender and the sauce is thick and
glossy, about 40 minutes; turn the pork chops once or twice during cooking.
Discard the thyme sprigs. Serve the pork chops at once, garnished with fresh
thyme.
If the evening is successful I doubt you'll make it to dessert ;o) ...
...but, try this Creme Brûlée!
What you'll need:
1 extra-large egg
4 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur (Grand Marnier or I prefer Amaretto for a bit of a different taste)
How to do it:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and liqueur and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.
Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.
To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar caramelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens. Toss a couple fresh raspberries or blueberries on top for some extra zing!
Leave me a note and let me know how it goes... regardless the outcome, you know the food is going to be deeeeeelish!
Enjoy! Love, The Sunflower xoxo
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